Brotherly Admonition. dehorcs us from lavifhing our our Reproofs imprudently upo~ Dog~ and _Swine; wicked and impure Perfons, on whom w~ ha\'C reafon w tlnnk rhey \~Ill have no effect, but only to enrage rhem, and make them fly our bo~h aga111fi God and us, with~.he more Violence and ~adnefs: Toreprov.efuch,tSbur. ro. cafi up \Vater againft an high Wind, char wtll be fure to beat 1t back. ag:un mro our own Faces. . . And rhus I have given you the Negativ: Rules m thefe four Particulars. Reprove not without a certain knowledge ot the Offence. Nor where. others who are likely to be more effectual, have done icalread¥. Nor for every mvolumary flip. Nor rhofC who are like eo be rhe worfe fo: 1t. . . Let us now proceed to lay down fome Pifltwe Rules and D1reEhons for the right managing of our Reproofs. And here, Firj!, 1f chou would'fi reprove wich fuccefs, obferve right Circumfi~nces of Tim/~nd Time and Place : And let che one be as oppor:tune, and the other as pnvate as Place muft thou canfi. We ought to obfi':rve the m_olii{l tempora fandi, the foft an·~ eafie ~e obf~e4 ltours of fpeaking. And therefore the wtfe Man cell us, .t.l[fl'o,.J fpok~ sn [en- m gt'llmg [on, how good is it? It is like .Applu of Gold in Pi~uru of Silv_er; th«t is, .\ret'y :%;.D~1• beautiful and pleating. There are fome happy 5eafons wherem the moll rugged , 1 . Natures are acceffible ·; and it is a great pare of Prudence in all our ConCerns, if we would have them profperous, to watch fuch Opportunities, and to improve them. . . . Re mfnit Now ufually 1t 1s no fit Seafon for Reproof} · foajm 4 b/, Firfl Prefently as foon as· the Sin is committed; for then the heat is not 1 • over, ~or che uproar ofrhe Paffionsand Affecti.onsappeafed. In all likelihood .Ar f"!':'JJ.t a Repro~f as yet would but in:icate. A~ Water falling upon red h?t Iron, dorh ::~~;~t:_ but caufe a great deal of No!fe and D11lurbance: So a Reproof JUil upon the Very ACl of a Sin, cloth but ma,ke the Sinner fume, efiuace, and tumulruare dle more. Nor yec, , ··- ~· . _ Secondly, Is a Time of Mirth and Joy fit ·for Reproof: For that 'Villlook like R '{ a pi~ce of Envy, as if we wed lll:aliciol;lS at .rheir Pr9fperi.ry, and ~her~forct u:}e:fon.. fiudted to caft m fomewhat char m1ght dtfturb them; and fo .,they will be apt 11blt in a to interpret it. Nor, :, · rh~e of Thirdly, Is a Tim~ o~ exceedi~g great.~adnefs and Sorr6'W? a proper Seafon Mlrt!: for Reproof: For thiS will look hke Holl•Iity and Hatred, as 1f we defigned uc- Refmfun. terly to overwhelm and difpatc;h them. fi#{Dl'llfh/t But the fitteft opportunity for this Duty, is when they are moll clam and t'n • ti"!e fedate, their P~ffion hufhr, and their Reafon (with which ~ou are to deal;> again f~e~~';;j· refeated upon Jts Throne. When they are ft:ee from all JOWard Penurbacions m~ft foa4 of Mind, and from all confiderable Alterations in their outward Efiate and Con- finable ditio.o, then, if ever, rhey williiften to Re-proif, and take right Meafures o£.the fihm Per4 Sin for which yourtprO'Ue them. Due if we reprO'tlethemwhencheirPalftonsaf.e ~~~;:im in a Tumult, and all within in an Uproar andCombuftion, it is no wonder at amt/tdt~tlt al~ if eirher they reject or re\(ile our Reproift ; . for we then accufe them before .very corrupt Judges,. "ttiz.. tbei;r oWn Paflions ;Hl<f Cormpc AffeCtions; and you may with as much Reafon, and as good,Suocefs, ·chide rhe Sea fer being 'li'empelluous, when the Winds <age. and are lee loofe uponJi;; .· Chide a Man for .being angry when he is angry, and what will :you gee by ir, .but only fdme of his foam call upon you ? Let God himfeJf expofiulate whb ad Impatient Jnnah, Jonab. •· whilfi he is in his fie of Impatien.c_e: Doej!- 'r.h'o:l ,well to be an'gry? I ahd he will ,reil 9· l}i~ 1fl~ppi1hJy t? his ~aee, ThiZt ~~ dotb 1~eJI:o be llngry_, t't.l~n .'tO, rJJt , very Ji)_emQ. There IS no deahng With Men wlule thelf. Paflioos blind tllell'. Reafon : This .makes them as utterly incapable of taking good Counfel, as if they were brute Bealls. Thou wen as good thnult11y Hand into a ·wa[p's Nejf, as com,e with Rtp~oofl and Rebulus when the Swarm is up ·; ro be fure thou /hale only ge away with many a Sting and Wound, and thou m~yell thank thy felf for no better timing thy Rtproifi. Indeed in Cafes of great Importance and ahfolute Necelliry, we may rcn this Venture, and P?ffibly !ucceed well in it. Thus Joab very /harply reproved Davzd, when hefo unmoderately mourned for Abfalom. And I think , it _i; one 1$am.rg, of the roundell Checks ;hac ever a dutiful SubjeEI gave to his Prince; but if he ' ' 6 • 7· had noc takenthat very nme, the Cafe bad been defperate, and his People had Aaaa~ all
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